


The Restless

by UraniumLollipop



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Cyberpunk, Death Magic, Earth Magic, Elemental Magic, F/F, F/M, Fire Magic, Gen, Guns, Lightning magic, Love Magic, Magic, Magic-Users, Other, Urban Fantasy, Water Magic, air magic, also cool lesbians, animal magic, creation magic, health/life magic, i think, large amounts of death, mind magic, oblivion magic??, thats a lot of tags I apologize, very multiple many plot twists
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 21:23:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2522249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UraniumLollipop/pseuds/UraniumLollipop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the longest time, there was no such thing as magic. People went about their daily life with certainty that nothing out of the ordinary would happen. Those who had seen signs soon forgot.</p>
<p>That all changed seven years ago, when me and eleven others discovered that we had control over more than just our own bodies. One could burn everything she wanted. One could manipulate people to her heart's desire. One could kill with a look. </p>
<p>There were twelve of us in all.</p>
<p>Only twelve.</p>
<p>Soon, everyone knew about us. Some thought we were frauds. Some thought we were heroes. Some thought we were gods.</p>
<p>Well, I'll tell you what we are. We were just kids, kids burdened with something that no single person can be able to bear. We decided to waste our short lives in the most dangerous way we could. </p>
<p>We formed gangs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

There was little noise that night, if not for the occasional car passing, the woman may have been far more suspicious than she already was. Of course, selling what she did made her far more paranoid than any rational person should be. Fifteen loaded guns, hanging at strategic points in the small room, told no lies about the danger involved in any sort of trade of this sort. Drugs were dangerous, sure, but compared to any sort of magic, drug trade was child's play. 

The sound of footsteps behind the painted parchment screen alerted the woman to the presence of another. The other person was not a surprise- her visit had been arranged months in advance. 

"You look fine today, Milady" the woman ventured, reaching to her hips, towards the sixteenth and seventeenth guns. They were her favorites, and currently unloaded. "Of course- I think so. Can't see a damned thing through that screen, although that's why I have it."

The silhouette provided by the candles on the other side of the screen also reached towards some sort of weapon, responding coldly, "If you could stop talking for a second about your own intellect, then maybe we could reach the agreement that I have staked my life on."

The voice paused a second, it's tone lightening barely a touch, before adding "And I do look fine today, thank you."

The woman shook her head, taking a step towards the screen. "So, what brings you here today? You put quite a bit of effort into making sure nobody else heard of our meeting."

"I need to die,"

"No shit," the woman replied, dropping her arms to her waist, her mind focusing entirely on the figure. "Life too much for ya now?"

"You know what I mean."

"Ugh, I've told you a million times, that's nearly impossible! This better not be for some Romeo and Juliet bullshit-"

"Silence. You've done it before, and you will do it again."

The woman turned away. "You do know what will happen if you do."

"Of course. And it was... Sixteen thousand credits, correct?"

"No less than twenty thousand for any transaction, ma'am,"

"Mm. Eighteen thousand, and you will ask for no higher."

The woman sighed, and pulled a small bronze key from her breast pocket, sliding it under the partition. "You got it. This opens the room, it's in the chest at the center. Take the chest too- you die the moment the shell inside breaks. Got that?"

Silence followed, as the silhouette retreated to the background. Sure, the bombs and armed guardsmen before the room would hold the client off for a bit, but she would get what she purchased eventually. The woman sighed, and set about retrieving her guns, one by one, and stowing them back inside her coat. They would be needed soon.


	2. Chapter 1 (Julia)

Julia looked across the sea of lights. Her domain was rather pretty, especially at night. The neon signs and traffic lights and golden glow of late-night office workers all washed around her. Sixteen floors made quite the difference to her mood some days, and today was one of them. The beauty was moving, but nothing could touch her any more. Not since that one day, the day that she froze up her heart and decided against feeling. It was hard, feeling, especially when she knew that there was little she could do about her fate.

"Maybe two years, if you're lucky..." 

Words of traitors echoed through her brain, like shouts echoed down a chasm. Flashes of color, of light, of what was once compassion floated down the abyss, disappearing into the overwhelming black of the earth. 

And so long as that damned man lived on this Earth, Julia could feel it. Every step he would take would send vibrations through her skull, every breath he took would drive her deeper and deeper into the rage at her core. He had done the impossible, and she would kill him because of it. A life for a life is fair exchange. It always was, and it always would be. He had taken her life, slit her throat, discarded her future. Now all that was left of Julia Beira was skin and bone, held together by sheer willpower and rage. Magic had helped, of course. Magic was the only thing that she had left to tie herself to this corpse, and her magic was getting weaker by the day.

Of course, Julia's weakening abilities were of least concern. When she needed more power, she simply had to stand on the open ground, and draw out the energy of the earth- so long as the planet existed, she would not lose her strength. In exchange, she had been tasked with protecting the planet. It was not as difficult of a task as it was made to look like, in those tales of heroes past. There was nothing in her deal that mentioned saving the humans. 

To Julia, humans had gone too far. They had been raised from the soil as everything else, ages had watched the race flounder it's way out of the trees and onto the soil, watched as these apes took intelligence in stride, how they got so far so quickly. Julia, however, only saw failure here. The moment that humans figured out that they were the only ones they knew with intelligence, they thought themselves above everything. Years ago, selfish men had dug into the crust of the earth. They hunted for metals and oil, to fill their pockets with money and their hearts with some pitiful sense of self-fulfillment. Now they hunt for water and air and a one-way ticket off the planet, because that is the only way to save their lives.

Overpopulation had taken its toll. Governments had forced border shutdowns, and cities grew exponentially. The air filled with toxins, and the sky grew dim with smog. Julia could feel the earth crying out far beneath her. She was used to it now- when she was younger, she cried with it. She was how old? Six, or seven maybe? Julia shook her head, she couldn't remember. She remembered when they began every major mining operation, she could feel the drills pierce her skin and bleed out her core. Cities grew, tall and dark and dangerous, and the people evolved with them.

They used to call it Seattle, but now they just call it Hell. 

They call it that because it wasn't anything like the old city anymore. The population boom forced cities to grow. Some spread out, some grew taller, and some even dug lower to house all of these people, and more continued to pour in. 

There were oases, of course, small patches of darkened green in the deep city, maybe with a tree or two. Julia knew their positions like the back of her hand. A tree could tell her more than any human, and could keep her secrets better as well.

Footsteps clicked down the empty hall. A lone fluorescent light bulb flickered, as if to greet the visitor. 

"Chiaki," Julia stated, her eyes not wavering from the window. "You're earlier than I expected."

"Of course, my lady. The task ran just as smoothly as you said it would," the young woman replied, shifting her weight, and moving her hand slightly, to cover a yawn. "We ran into a few water pistols along the way, but there was clean dispatch."

"Mm." Julia narrowed her eyes, turning, at last, to face the girl in front of her. "Water pistols?"

Chiaki blushed slightly. She was rather pretty, Julia noticed, not for the first time. Her pale, pinkish hair curled softly at the nape of her neck, and her eyes were wide and trusting. Julia knew better, of course. The frills and pink that Chiaki seemed to be composed of were a clever disguise for a creative and loyal (though a bit spacey at times), companion. It caused most people to mistake her for docile, tame. In reality she was dangerous, the innocent behavior making her even more so.

"Yeah... But not the one you were looking for." Chiaki faltered, she knew her mistake he moment the words escaped her lips. "I- I mean-"

"Chiaki," Julia's tone was icy. "Aaron is not any low-level water scum. You are not to compare him to any of them- even to imply that he is one. He is a threat, and we are not to forget what he is capable of."

Chiaki nodded her head hastily. "Understood,"

Julia waited a second, before speaking again, her tone lightening a fraction. "But the fortifications went well?"

Chiaki smiled with relief, and nodded again. "Worked like a charm. I left Amma and her team behind, as you recommended, so the structure is still protected. Ash won't be getting in any time soon, and if she does, she'll be going through the warehouse."

"Good. You may leave now,"

Chiaki bowed her head, and began to back up slightly, before turning to walk back down the hall. She paused for a moment as Julia added a final message.

"Oh, and gear up, will you? I predict a raid soon. Not sure from whom, but it's best to be safe."

Chiaki's lips curved into a slight smile. She had some nice news for Amma, when they had their next rendezvous. But first, she would have to tell the boys- which was not as much of a fun task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there are several chapters that we have yet to post here, so I'm just going to post them all right now. Some things may be edited later, but it looks like everything is running smoothly, for now.


	3. Chapter 2 (Maia)

Maia sat in front of the cracked mirror in their room, slowly drawing on eyeliner with a small brush. First one eye, then the other, then wash off one eye, and then smudge the other. After a few attempts at symmetry, they put the brush down, rubbed their eyes a bit, and laid down on the messy bed a few feet away.

They would have to leave in a minute, for a meeting with the rest of the Fire Gang. Such meetings were fairly common, and often were little more than a pep talk. With all the tension, though, Maia figured that something more important might go on this time. Maybe they would do something, more than burning some old warehouse or another tonight? They rolled onto their chest, with a groan, and looked out the dusty window. Despite the fact that they lived very close to what was once the ground level of the city, the sky was very hard to see. A few flickering neon signs illuminated the view up to the bridge, where the midnight traffic was surely crossing. The cars above sounded like thunder, which Maia actually rather liked. Thunder reminded them that they were still able to do things, that where they were now wouldn't be the end of the road.

Not that there was anything wrong with Fire Gang, of course. Quite the contrary, in fact: here, for the first time in their life, was a place that Maia found herself useful. They weren't a baby any longer, and they could do things on her own, a concept that Cass could never grasp. Aislinn had recognized their talent, and accepted them with open arms the moment they asked. It was with her assistance that Maia actually got the hang of their abilities, learning how not to accidentally electrocute whomever they touched, and how to control the lightning magic that they barely even knew they had. 

And now they owed Ais, which was why they were rolling around on their bed in the tiny room they were given, rather than roaming the streets or putting an end to crime or something preposterous like that. They had left one family for another, and now had to stick with their decision. Yawning, they slumped out of bed, checked herself in the mirror one last time. Their dark hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. Their skin was paler than it used to be, they realized. Living under bridges meant that even if they went outside, the only light she would be getting would be from flickering light bulbs, neon signs, and the ever-swinging chandeliers that hung in the larger chambers of the converted warehouse. They tripped on the doorstep as they entered the hallway leading to the assembly hall.

The assembly hall was not actually an assembly hall, by any means. An assembly hall is there to keep the people in order, and give them a space where they can assemble in private. This assembly hall was there in order to protect the outside world from the people who were beginning to collect in the lower level. The whole place stank of smoke and gasoline, and alcohol, as more people filtered through the open doors. 

Maia took their position on one of the three balconies. They were a leader here after all, so they had to participate somewhat. They weren't the official leader here, nor did they call themselves the second in command, although they could easily be. That position was unofficially filled by someone named Angela Iris, and Maia was both severely confused and majorly annoyed by her.

Angela was the other person who Ais called a "fire subelement"- she supposedly could control love. Maia didn't trust her at all. She laughed too loud. She was too close, too clingy for comfort, and she had anyone she met wrapped around her finger. Maia guessed that was how she had somehow jumped through the ranks of leadership so quickly. Even now, she was sharing a quick pre-speech smooch with Aislinn, of which Maia could fully see. They made a slight gagging noise to themselves, and leaned foreward, looking over the crowd. 

"Listen up!" 

Aislinn's voice thundered over the noisy crowd. It still managed to surprise Maia, how such a young person can have so much control over these people. She doesn't look the part. She wasn't very tall, or heavy set, nor did she seem very experienced. There were no battle scars on her fair skin, but every single person in the hall knew why. It did not matter how experienced or strong or clever you were, nobody had the power to lay a hand on Aislinn Serafino without facing certain fiery death. 

Well, anyone except Angela, who was laying both hands protectively on Aislinn's hips as she spoke. Maia gagged quietly again, and rolled their eyes in the direction of Angela's own private balcony spot, of which was empty.

"Shut your fuckin' traps!" She called again, as silence fell over the room. "We've got some bad news, and some good news."

There was some uneasy rustling in the crowd.

"The bad news is, Earth Gang has been fortifying their defenses. They're expecting us to do what we usually do."

Someone in the audience began yelling, something about how the "fuckin' jewels better pay". Despite the fact that she was rather tactless, Maia had to admire Aislinn's use of dramatic builds. Every single person in this audience has taken a human life, and were happily willing to do so again. She was riling up the craziest people this side of the ocean, in her own, psychotic way.

"Which is why we aren't gonna do what we usually do."

Silence.

"Good news is, we are killing us some Gemstones tomorrow," a cheer rose from the crowd, but her final words could be heard over them all. "But bring the goddamn lighter fluid, because we are burning everything and everyone who gets in our way!"

The ensuing cheer near deafened Maia, forcing her to cover their ears. They joined in the festivities briefly, but left as soon as nobody was looking. A raid was sure different, it was unlike Ais to do anything without setting it on fire first. Still, Maia could do something here. They reported back to the other two leaders as soon as she could. 

Ais had not seemed to have planned this out half as well as she had pretended to during the meeting. Angela was to stay behind, and Maia was to work behind the scenes, draining power from any major electrical weaponry that Earth gang would throw at them, and zapping anyone who seemed too much of a threat for one person alone. Ais would be on the front lines, battering away at whomsoever crossed her path, and answering questions later.

Maia had nodded and smiled the whole time. The plan was crazy, but compared to the other battle plans that they had carried through with, it seemed half sane. They were still worried, though. 

Aislinn left, in order to clear her mind and probably smoke a cigarette or burn some newspaper, and Maia retreated into their thoughts. This would work, and if it didn't, then Ais would have a backup plan. She always had a backup plan. Maia tried to ignore how many people would die, and instead focused on how many people wouldn't. They was so distracted, that she almost didn't hear Angela speak.

"You seem a little tense,"

Maia shook their head. "I'm fine," they muttered, turning away. They couldn't trust Angela with their thoughts, they were too private. The two could talk, but Maia would not tell her anything important. 

The moment they felt a hand on her shoulder, however, they almost forgot their caution. Why wouldn't they be able to trust this person, a member of their own gang? They felt themselves lean into the touch, but stopped themselves. Though this person may be wonderful and trustworthy, something reminded Maia that this was still Angela-fucking-Iris, who got whatever she wanted. 

She wouldn't get a word out of Maia, though, they felt the lightning in their veins force out the warm closeness they had felt earlier. Love was something they decided against the moment she saw what it could do to people. They would not yield to Angela, with her perfectly symmetrical eyeliner. No, their thoughts were something that Maia could keep all to themselves.


	4. Chapter 3 (Mika)

Atop the city, hundreds upon hundreds of smokestacks blew clouds into the sky. It was quiet here- one could see for miles. Vision was a luxury, offered only to those who lived on top of the world. On top of the buildings, however, was free to anyone who could figure out how to climb. Here, you could see what may have once been the ocean. It was covered now, of course, in part of the Expansion. The water had been rerouted to other purposes, unfortunately, it wasn't going to civilian purposes.

Water, like every foodstuff, was heavily rationed now. Two cups a day, per person, plus three gallons a week for bathing purposes. It wasn't water that Mika cared about, as much as it was the food. As the population increased, the demand for food rose significantly: and humanity became entirely screwed when the government realized that cloning was costing more than it made. Food prices skyrocketed: underground meat and spice trades sprung up in any large city, and fresh vegetables were nearly impossible to come by. 

None of that mattered to most people. Government rations were the safest way to control the massive population, starvation dulled the anger that Mika was sure people felt. The country was rotting from the core, she had decided, and therefore all suffering of the people could be directly sourced back to the Capitol. She was a conspiracy theorist, like many others, and she was sure she was right. 

She was also a criminal, and criminals broke the law. Which was why she was sitting on the roof of the city, a million miles above the streets, accompanied by only the ghosts and the crows, and several boxes of Chinese takeout. The food was a major benefit of her affiliation with the Air Gang, and Mika constantly thanked every god alive for their benevolence, without which, this fantastic crab wontons would not be possible. She popped one into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully, and watching the acrid smoke winding slowly into the sky. It looked slightly like a dragon, made of ash and filth. They said that the smoke was the reason why the sunset was so red. It was like the sky was dying, but you could only see it if you were above the rest of the world. It was almost sad.

She checked her watch again. Barely five minutes had passed since she last checked, but that made it only half an hour until she had to go. Life in the Air Gang, as well as all the food that came with it, also came with a price. As with all the other gangs, there was people to control, money to direct, and, of course, obstacles to be removed. Mika was in charge of the last group, specifically the removal of people. She was the absolute best at murder, the quickest and most precise assassin that ever lived. Despite this, she was neither an accurate marksman, nor the best at handling a knife.

Her skill was instead derived from magic, something that had run in her family for ages. It had been exploited rarely then very few even knew that the strange deaths of those who had wronged her mother, and her grandmother before her, had all been considered accidents. There was something to be said about the way of which humanity managed to ignore something that so obviously existed, simply because it didn't work with our view of reality. It was strange to think that sheer ignorance managed to nearly destroy magic altogether.

Mika possessed the element of death, and that cut her life short. She had a total of 452 kills left, maybe less. Once that number dropped to zero, she would die. All at was a hypotheses, but it was one of the few explanations that she could formulate that explained her life. That number, four hundred and fifty two, was the one concept about her abilities that Mika fully understood. She had never figured out how exactly it was that her victims died. She never performed autopsies, nor was she an expert at medical terms. From observation, however, she simply saw that they just stopped living. It was a painless, traceless, shameless way to die. They simply fell to the ground, and were picked up by the Buzzards by the same time the next day.

The Buzzards were a repulsive bunch. Government paid workers who swept through the city overnight, who seemed... Not quite normal. They were nearly unseen, barely discernible from regular citizens, and when night fell, they swept through the city, like a tide of acid. They removed the homeless, disposed of the sick, and scourged the streets of garbage, whether it be a discarded food package, or a still-warm, human corpse. They were nameless, emotionless, and cold. Unnerving.

Mika checked her watch again. It was rather scuffed up now, she wore it all the time. It was hard to tell time when the sky was so obscured, the lower city seemed plunged into eternal night simply because the sunlight never touched the ground. Time was relative, mealtimes were doubly so. She twirled her chopsticks idly, before scooping up another mouthful of noodles. had come to watch the feasting. They had grown accustomed to eating the garbage that humans had left behind. She liked the crows-- they were resourceful, and never wasted.

It was nearly six, nearly time to leave. Mika checked the letter again. The handwriting was a familiar streamlined scrawl, stating a time, and an address, as well as the words "report any or all abnormalities". That was a new part of the plan, something about it rubbed her the wrong way. There were never any abnormalities, and if there were, then Anisa had never cared to know them. Perhaps that meant that this victim was the Third, but Mika seriously doubted that. The Third would be harder to come by than this. As far as she could tell, he would likely be nearly invisible. 

Nevertheless, this kill was important, and it wouldn't hurt to hit the road early. Taking a final look left and right, she pushed off the side of the building, her copper hair ablaze with the bloody light of the setting sun.


	5. Chapter 4 (Cassandra)

Cassandra let out her final breath, and let the sword drop out of her hands. It was over, and she had lost. She was drowning, paralyzed, falling into the ebb and flow of the waves, dyed crimson with the blood she had spilled. She had lost track of time, but time mattered no longer. All that mattered was the tide...

Snap.

"Hey!" the girl flinched away from the sting of the elastic band on her arm, losing track of her daydream.

"Cass," a voice asked her, "are you alright?"

"Fine," Cassandra reassured, instantly shrugging it off. "What is it?"

Grace stood in front of her, giving a report of some kind. Cassandra knew she should pay more attention to the reports, but lately she had just been getting so tired. It was hard to concentrate on anything anyone said.

"Again, we lost a couple of our ranks today. It seemed they stumbled into an Earth plot, and the damn Jewels got the best of them. Didn't seem planned, by the looks of it. Wrong place wrong time, you know?" Grace said. Cassandra sighed. She really hated Julia and her crowd of snobby, rich, stuck up know-it-all's who thought they were the best gang in town. Because what, they had the most cash to burn? They pulled off the most actual crimes that got them fame and even more money, as opposed to just destroying things, or being biggest, or staying in the shadows? They seemed to have the highest success rate? That didn't make a gang. It was part of it, but it wasn't everything. The way Julia ruled over them all, with her stony glare and her rock heart, it really irked her. Gangs shouldn't be lead like that. Or at least, that's how Cassandra saw it.

"What are you thinking, Grace? A small counter attack to say even though that was small, we noticed? Should we ignore it?" Cass had made a habit of running her ideas by Grace first. Being the element of Mind, Grace could always rationally think through what would be the best course of action. Of course, Cassandra was still in charge, so that didn't necessarily mean she'd take Graces advice. It was just an option.

"No need. They've been fortifying their defenses against Ash and them, which is sure to piss her off. Earth gangs got a storm of trouble headed their way, without us to interfere." Grace said with a smirk.

Cassandra smirked at that too. Ash gave her and her team trouble all the time, and she loved the idea of her hitting Julia's ranks. She really hated Julia.

"Seems like a plan, we'll just sit back and enjoy the earth gangs suffering" she scoffed to herself as she added one last pun "we'll watch them burn" Nice, she thought.

Graces smile faltered for a second, making Cassandra’s mood drop. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just... This seems like an out of character move for Julia. She should have known it’d piss Ais off, no, she must have known it’d piss Ais off. Not to mention there's a very clear entry point not even Ais could miss..."

"Grace, whatever you’re trying to say, say it." Cass interrupted.

"It looks like it's set up to be a trap. Except, there's no other fortifications, so unless there's something I don't know, it's a very bad trap. Which again, is out of character for Julia. She's clearly got something planned, but... I have absolutely no clue what it could be." She said.

Cassandra frowned, and added her own input "What if we're overestimating Julia's intelligence? And she's just doing something really dumb?"

At this Grace narrowed her eyes and lifted an eyebrow, giving Cassandra her famous "I really fucking doubt that's the case" look.

Cassandra huffed. "Fine, she's up to something. But as long as it doesn't include us I don't think it's something we should worry about! Let's keep our focus on relevant things, ok?"

Grace nodded. "Understood. That's all I needed to say."

"Alright," Cass concluded. Grace bowed her head slightly and turned to go. She was almost at the door when Cassandra thought of something. "Wait," she commanded.

Grace stopped and turned, waiting for her bosses instructions.

"How does Aaron feel about this?"

Accessing the power her element granted her, Grace reported her findings. "He doesn't know, hasn't heard yet."

"Send him in." Cassandra ordered, "I'll give him a report update and find a way to tell him. It's something I'd rather him hear from me than the Grapevine."

Grace nodded to show she understood. With that, she left Cassandra alone.

Waiting for Aaron, Cassandra absently gazed out the window. She began to imagine the feel the leather grip of a sword in her hand and saw herself swinging...


	6. Chapter 5 (Leo)

Leo happily handed out guns, swords, and any dangerous items he had to the members of his squad in the Earth gang. Chiaki had arrived, informing him and everyone else of their leaders orders. He was glad of the opportunity, excited to show off the improvement to his, and his crew's, skills in battle.

He was proud of his division. They had always been loyal and supportive, and despite the fact that they were not the strongest nor the best, Leo was proud of them. He sent them away to their positions, confident they were prepared to face anything those Sparks of Fire gang threw at them. His crew lined the alleys, blending in with the shadows. Some were chatting idly amongst themselves, some were polishing weapons until they gleamed in the harsh, orange, streetlights.

Leo had some preparations of his own to make, however. So long as his people were fighting, he would fight too. He wasn't a historian, but he had heard Damien mention some Alexander the Great, a man who refused to eat unless every soldier he commanded could eat as well. Leo liked that. He decided to make himself useful, as he did every time. Excusing himself from the premises, he turned his back on his team, and began to walk through the lower streets.

He followed the slow, pulsing beat that rang through his head-- the heartbeat of the city. The heartbeats of thousands upon thousands of rats, of flocks of pigeons and crows, of stray dogs. Being the Animal element, he felt bad for the amount that would be sacrificed in the Earth gang name. Although, though no one knew this but him, he would be sure to give each and everyone of them a proper and honorable burial afterwards.

They came to him when he asked. 

They always did.

Leo did not consider himself very different from any other member of the earth gang. Like everyone else, he felt strongly connected to both the earth and the subelements under its protection. The fact that he lead one of those branches was irrelevant to him. Like everyone he knew, he was strongly devoted and loyal to whatever current goal or mission they were focused on. To help them reach it in the name of Julia, that's all he could ask for. However, unlike everyone else, he didn't hate Aaron.

He remembered Aaron and his time in the earth gang. It was years ago, but he remembered him being a rather nice guy. He could be an asshole, sure, but he was kind enough that it was forgiven. Other then Julia, Leo felt like he had been the closest to Aaron. They had both been officially part of the animal section, though neither knew at the time it wasn't Aaron's true calling, nor did they know it was an even bigger part of Leo's life then they had thought.

Then Aaron left. The hatred Julia began to feel instantly reflected itself upon the rest of the Earth gang, and tainted their memories of Aaron, leaving their past alliance stained a thick inky black. Leo began to feel that way, at first, feeling personally betrayed. But it didn't last more then a few weeks. Honestly, he thought Aaron had done the right thing leaving. He couldn't say a word, however. If anyone found out, he wouldn't nessesarily have anything done to him specifically, but he'd be shunned, an outcast within his own group. Some of that extra hate would come his way as well.

That, at least, what Leo would like to believe. Part of him knew the true reason he didn't hate Aaron, was because he could hold the secret to the solution to all of his problems.

Leo shook his head, as he was getting rather sidetracked. He was on a mission. He had to stay focused.

Years ago, his mission would have been to sit in hiding with a long range sniper gun. Completely out of sight, completely out of reach. He used to be untouchable, able to shoot a penny dropped halfway across the city. If a bullet could reach it, it was his quarry, but ever since discovering his control of the element, that role went to Chiaki. He had taught her everything he knew, and she learned even more. It had made the most sense, letting the few magic users use their magic on the battle field and giving people without that gift an equally important job. Still, Leo missed the feel of the cold metal in his hands, the slight smell of gunpowder, the recoil, and the adrenaline that pumped like fire through his veins as his target stumbled and fell.

He snapped back to the present, when he noticed a small three legged dog running towards him. He smiled and leaned over to pet it, It's light brown fur matched the color of his tan hands. His family had both been Hispanic, which lent his skin a warmer tone than most of those around him. People were paler these days, likely because it was getting harder to see the sun. His eyes were a warm chocolatey hue, which matched his sable hair. Coupled with the fact most of the clothes he owned were brown, it could be a bit much to look at. He had taken to wearing a green beanie, in order to offset the overwhelming brownness of his wardrobe. Damien, and occasionally Amma would tease him about it, and he knew he probably looked pretty silly. But he didn't care. He liked the way he looked.

"Donde esta tu casa, Perrito?" He asked the dog. He tended to speak to animals in Spanish, since there wasn't much opportunity to use it otherwise. The animals could understand it either way, and there were few other people who understood him. Supposedly, it was once a common language, it had died out in the area. Most people spoke English, or an Asian dialect, as it was mainly Asian immigrants in the area. Once you came, you stayed wherever you could. Spanish was something that was special to Leo: though it was once a thriving language, it was now his own secret code.

He sent the dog off, to where several other animals lay in wait. He'd feel bad if it died, but he would feel much worse if it had met its fate at the hands of the Buzzards, or had starved to death in the lower streets.

There was comfort to be had in the fact that they were ready, Leo nearly felt that they could survive unscathed. He returned to his squadron, and felt pride slowly creeping over him as he scanned the area. Everything was in order: every knife and every gun was loaded. The animals were nearby, preparing amongst themselves. Fire Gang would be unprepared for this, he thought, as his mouth twisted into a slight smirk. He adjusted his hat, his hands shaking slightly with the motion.


	7. Chapter six (???)

"Aaron! You in there?"

There was a silence, followed by some muffled thumping noises. Grace sighed, letting her gaze slide down the cold, metal door. The red paint was peeling off now, revealing the greenish grey layer underneath. The grey matched the drab hues of the hallway she was standing in. The stagnant air rang with the humming of the fluorescent lights, evenly spaced across the ceiling of the labrynthine halls, a semi-constant reminder that they were deep under surface level. She knocked once again, before trying the handle. It was still locked.

Sighing, Grace closed her eyes, and opened her mind. 

The hallway warped, and then vanished altogether. It was replaced by a long corridor, one that Grace knew by heart. Her mind was a sprawling expanse, and she had memorized every square inch of it-- it was probably easiest to imagine it as a mansion, a temple, a palace entirely devoted to the scraps of memories she kept. There were layers upon layers of walls, doors within doors, and an endless amount of passages. The passage that she was in, however, was not one that was entirely her own. It was one that connected her to another person, one that allowed her to invade, and be invaded, by thoughts that were not her own.

Grace dashed to the end of the hall, reaching a familiar door, painted the same as it's physical counterpart. She stopped before it. It would be so simple to open the door, to enter the mind that lay on the other side, but on that same note, it would be so easy to cause more damage than she had already done. She instead opted to yell through the walls, and be assured that her message would be heard. 

"Aaron, get your ass out here!"

Her communication was interrupted by the door in the real hallway slamming open.

Aaron stood on the opposite side, his hair gelled in its usual, pretentious style, and his expression was dour. He hastily fixed his shirt collar as he spoke. "Jesus fuck, Grace! Can't a guy get some privacy while getting ready?"

Grace sighed. This happened every day. Every single day. "Aaron, I have been knocking on that door for ten goddamned minutes. Ten. Ten minutes," she paused, as Aaron looked at the floor, before continuing, "Anyways, Cass wants to see you, and your vest buttons are off."

Aaron grumbled, adjusting the buttons on his vest-- they were buttoned slightly off, which messed up the entire look. Grace had long since given up on trying to figure out why, but wearing a suit vest was one of the things that Aaron had never failed to do. 

"What's this about? What could be such a big deal that I can't look my best?" He mumbled angrily, still fixing his buttons.

Grace shrugged. "Why would I know? She wants to talk to you, and that means it's not my business." That was a lie. It wasn't something that Aaron needed to know, and as such, she kept it to herself. An excess of facts only caused trouble.

"Probably just wants an update then," He sighed tugging out the nonexistent wrinkles from his vest, before grabbing his signature trench coat hanging on the hook just outside the doorway he was leaning on. "Not that there's anything to update on. Not much happens here,"

"But Cass doesn't know that, which is why she needs an update." Grace responded, giving him a look that stated how obvious she thought that was.

"Okay, jeez, I get your point, Grace." He put his hands up in mock surrender as his usual smirk flittered to his lips, and he backed down the hall. "I'm on my way, oh so powerful one. Dear lord, please, don't shoot me for my ignorance! I understand now, I promise!" The sarcastic plea ended with a laugh as he turned around and shoved his hands in the coats deep pockets and headed down the hall in the general direction of Cassandra's office. Before turning the corner he turned around and added one last comment.

"Oh, and by the way, on the whole not knowing what she's going to tell me thing..." A wide grin appeared on his face as he looked Grace in the eye, "I call bullshit." With that he finally finished his dramatic exit from the hall. Overdramatic, Grace corrected herself, as she rolled her eyes.

Her job done, Grace began to head back to the main meeting room for the water gang. She called it a meeting room, but in reality it was very rarely used for meetings. For the most part, it served as a large room where a large quantity of water gang members loitered around, spending their free time conversing with others and relaxing a bit. The water gang was very relaxed, surprisingly enough. Most of the members were close, and even good friends. They usually viewed themselves as more of a family than a gang. Grace didn't mind spending her free time there as well, since she could easily learn secrets from others that they would otherwise never share. In her opinion it was the optimal strategy for keeping the gang in line without causing any more fuss than absolutely necessary.

Her journey, however, she was interrupted by a water gang member scampering through the halls at a hurried pace with a rather frightened expression. Sarah, Grace recalled, was her name. She was a young African American girl, rather pretty and delicate. She wasn't very strong or skilled, but she was dedicated, and her small size made her fast. Grace only vaguely knew of her, but she had made a habit of at least knowing everyone's names. With every name, there was usually a story, and oftentimes, those stories were key to whatever puzzle Grace was trying to solve.

"Sarah, what's going on?" Grace asked, blocking the girl's path.

Sarah's eyes widened as she stood straighter and stuttered out a response. "W-we were on patrol and," she stopped, gasping for breath, before continuing, "and there were intruders. We held them off for a bit... May've been sparks... I was on my way to tell You, Aaron and Cassand-"

"Don't bother," Grace cut her off.

"I-... What?"

"Don't bother. Cassandra and Aaron are in a meeting, and there's no need to bother them. We don't need any extra drama," Grace ordered.

"But... What will we do? Shouldn't we tell our lead-"

Grace cut her off again, "Don't tell anyone. I will take care of them, on my own. I'll tell Cassandra and Aaron afterwards."

"On your own? You can't-"

"Can't do it? I assure you can. Besides," she smirked, "I haven't had anything exciting for a while, this should be fun."

Sarah nodded hastily, her eyes wide. She moved out of Graces way hesitantly, still unsure about the decision. But she knew she couldn't disobey direct orders, especially from Grace. "I saw them in-"

Yet again, Grace interrupted her words. "The lower city, headed towards the south tunnel, I know." She walked down the hall still smirking. Sarah stared after her, slightly afraid of the power she often forgot came with the gift of an element.

She waited until Sarah was just out of reach before she broke into a sprint. It felt so good to run again, to feel the wind against her face. She swerved around corners, until she reached the stairwell, leading up. They would enter through the south tunnel, which was only a floor above her. Grace took the stairs two at a time, and slammed open the door at the top, letting it swing closed behind her as she went. She was getting slight readings now, feelings of aggression, of guilt, and, more importantly, of fear. She slowed her pace, and began to walk slowly, menacingly, towards her targets.

She could see them at the end of the corridor, sillhouettes against the soft light from the open window. It was a simple task, breaking into a window on the ground floor, but usually, nobody was stupid enough to try. These fools would serve best as examples, a bloody caution against those who may follow their footsteps. Grace let a slight smirk creep onto her face as she pushed her sleeves up, revealing the twin blades she kept strapped to her wrists. 

One of the shadows at the end turned towards her, and stepped back with a shout. Grace began walking towards them, as she heard the distinctive sound of loading guns. In her mind, Grace began her assault. A sudden increase of fear forced a tremor into the hand of the gunman, a slight shock to the amygldala caused the others to freeze up. There were six of them in total, and it looked like the one directly behind the gunman was the leader. She upped his aggression slightly, and prepared to strike.

The gunman dropped his weapon in fright after firing the first volley. Grace noted that he prided himself in his marksmanship-- failing in the way he just had would most certainly terrify him. Expanding the reach of her control, she guided his back against the wall, where his other comrades were huddled. They watched, wide eyed, as their leader confronted the aggressor.

"W-whaddya think you're doing here?" the man asked. Grace sized him up. He was bulky, and probably half a foot taller than her, but his mental capacity severely limited his skill. It would be too easy, unless he knew exactly what he was getting into. He didn't. 

"I could ask the same of you. I happen to work here," Grace explained, annunciating the syllables clearly, disdainfully, "And who, may I ask, are you?"

"Shaddup!" the man snarled, reaching for a heavy knife that hung off his belt, "Shut yer mouth, bitch! I'm asking the questions here!"

He lunged forward, but gave Grace plenty of warning. She could read him like a book, and his rage made it all easier. She dodged to the side, sending the man lurching forward. He turned, bringing the blade in a swinging path to her side. Grace ducked under the blow, and threw a fist to the stomach. As he hunched over, gasping for breath, she grabbed his shoulders, smashing his face into her knee, and spinning him around. He was afraid now, and Grace could nearly taste the fear that was emanating from his mind. She withdrew the thin blade from her right wrist, and pressed it against his throat, pinning his arms behind his back with her other arm. She maneuvered him to face the remaining group, who were staring, wide eyed, from their position against the wall.

"Don't think about doing this again," Grace stated, plainly. "Take him with you, and leave him somewhere where people will find him. Tell your friends, water gang will not forgive, nor forget such an assault." It would have taken the leader approximately two seconds to process the implications of what she said. Grace only gave him one, before slashing the blade against his throat, and pushing him towards his allies along the wall. They scattered before him.

"Go." 

The men needed no second bidding-- they were happy to abscond through the mercifully open window. They'd need to procure a better lock, Grace thought, idly wiping the blood off her blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First kill so far! This chapter was far overdue, but the rest will hopefully be posted on schedule. As always, thanks for reading!!


	8. Chapter Seven (???)

A paper was picked up by the wind, fluttering around in the air before it was whisked from sight. One might go into a panic about now, hurrying to catch it, but she did not. She wanted that to happen.

Anisa Caelum was not someone who drew your eyes. She saw herself as average. Her hair was straight and flat, with bangs above her light rim wire glasses. It was an in-between color, something that she would almost call a dirty blond, although some had called it light brown or dark blonde before. There wasn't a way to be sure. Her eyes she kept hooded to avoid eye contact, because those, people did remember. A piercing glacial blue that struck your heart like an arrow released from the bow of an archer. Many people saw her, but almost no one remembered they did. Those who did didn't live very long to tell the tale.

Although she was unrecognizable, her name could be heard from a ten mile radius. Anisa Caelum, the feared leader of the Air gang, notorious for their mysteries hidden away behind shadows and deceit. A recent string of robberies were suspected of them, and most knew it most likely was. As far as the law was concerned, however, nobody was to blame. The crimes were virtually untraceable, and those who dared try were often found dead, in an alleyway, not far from the station from which they came.

There were many reason she and her followers didn't get caught, that only slight whispers and rumors were all that was known of them. Anisa was pretty sure that this was because they kept very little of the spoils. She was more concerned with the act of theft than the reward. Her gang stole from the rich and corrupt, and gave the money to those that needed it the most. Poverty was common, and it was important to keep people off the streets. Those who were penniless were cast away from their homes, and into the hands of the government, locked away into one of the merciless Facilities. She thought it was a noble cause, and a beneficial one at that-- there were thousands of families indebted to her and her gang, thousands of families who were supported by the money they should rightfully own.

Anisa sat down and began to write a second note, almost identical to the first. That first was to her second in command, Mika Valdis. She was a Death elemental, and a powerful one at that. No obstacle was too big, and no human being was too small or too mighty to be affected any different from the skills of her magic. This letter, however, was to her other second in command. Alec West was an interesting character. Mika feigned an air of rebelliousness, but she would always be loyal as long as Anisa kept her promises. Mika was rebelled against the government, and so long as her rebellion was supported, she would stay true to her word. Alec, however, was different, he rebelled in a more casual way. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, with no regard to others expectations wants or needs. It was a more true, pure rebellion. He occasionally did question the work Anisa gave him, if he didn't want to do it, but usually their wants and plans had little friction.

Two second in commands, both vital in their own ways. So different yet so similar. It would seem like a benefit to choose both as co-Next in line leaders, but Anisa knew better. The air gang was notorious for its secrecy and invisibility, and as everyone know, the more at risk you put that the more ties it had. So one there would be. A difficult choice, which is why Anisa choose not to choose.

Alec and Mika had never met each other. They had known each other by name, but no further. Anisa had pitched the two against each other, like a game. She would give a few hints, when needed, but aside from that, they were to work alone. The winner would be the last one standing, and the loser would most likely be another unrecognizable, defaced corpse.

It would be assumed Mika had the upper hand, but that was only if she managed to find Alec's identity first. It was an even game, and for Anisa, rather amusing. They were like two wolves in sheep's clothing, both trying to kill the other before they were discovered for who they truly were.

She wrote an address on the note, the same as on the other, but this time she included a diagram of where she put the key. It was a fine apartment, in the upper city, with wide windows that provided an unobstructed view of the heavy skies. If she knew Alec as well as she thought she did, he would take this opportunity to leave a trap, but there was also a good chance he would not. He was unpredictable, and if he were to win, Anisa had to know exactly how he would work. She finished the letter, and let the wind pick it up as well. 

Anisa was an elemental, herself. As the leader of Air gang, she controlled the winds and skies, as well as a large amount of the city. It wasn't as powerful as fire, as intimidating as water, nor as impenetrable as earth, but Anisa manipulated the air so that it became deadlier than the three combined. Her control over her element was impeccable, and it made her and her gang untouchable, so long as they were near the core of their domain. 

Air was also her responsibility. Many of the smaller hospitals in the city were being crushed by the larger, government-funded Medcenters, which administered medicines to only those who could afford, not to those who needed them. Anisa had owed her life to one of these small hospitals, and she had decided to take vengeance on the enterprise that forced it to close. She couldn't do much against the Medcenters though, as they had thousands upon thousands of credits to spend, and hundreds of armed guards. It would be pointless wasting lives trying to steal from them, so Anisa did all this work herself- she stole from the limited quantities of pure oxygen that such large hospitals could afford. This oxygen was transported directly to smaller hospitals, to the people who needed it.

She let her eyes wander to the calendar on the wall, marking the next shipments. It would be five days until the next opening would arise, and that would be when she would next be able to act. Until then, it was five days of complete boredom. There would be plenty of distractions, of course. Soon, she would begin sending Mika and Alec more serious clues. That could keep the boredom at bay, quite nicely too.

A lone crow flew by the window, causing Anisa to smile slightly. One pawn was already on the move, and that was entertainment enough.


	9. Chapter 8

Aislinn stood on the balcony, just two or three floors off the real ground. She would have surveyed the area, had there been much to survey, but everything was dark, save for the tacky neon signs and flickering fluorescent lights that lit up the lower city. It smelled like mildew and plague and gasoline, and it left a bad taste in her mouth. She flicked the lighter on and off between her fingers, watching the fire spark and vanish. Spark, and vanish. Spark, and vanish. It was pointless, really, but everything was pointless. If it burned, it could vanish too, and if it couldn't, then it just hadn't met her yet. It was something like nihilism, but a bit less on the side that everything was nothing, and more on the side that everything could easily become nothing. It was comforting, to think that the whole goddamn world could go up in a flash of heat and light, and a puff of smoke.

"Hey," 

There was a voice, a warm voice that was behind her. It belonged to the girl named Angela, the most absolutely confusing puzzle Aislinn had ever met. She was a casual affair, someone who possessed a sort of discounted purity, a master of half-truths and masked expressions. She was undeniably attractive, which didn't hurt at all- she had glowing, flushed skin, full lips, and eyes that looked like cold gunmetal, like the stormiest of seas. Aislinn didn't need to see her to know exactly what she was doing, leaning against the crooked doorframe like a forgotten muse, her shawl hanging lightly off her shoulder, revealing the armored corset underneath.

"Hey Ash,"

Aislinn turned around. There was no point in ignoring the girl- she was using the nickname that so few people even knew of. Angela meant business of some sort or the other, and Aislinn was pretty sure she knew exactly which sort it was.

"Yeah?" Ais turned to face her lover, making the mistake of eye contact. She glanced away quickly, averting her gaze to something directly behind the girl. Those goddamned eyes! They were most definitely blue, they were always blue when she faced the other people, but whenever the two were alone, they looked different. A pewter-like grey tone, that filled Ais with guilt. They were someone else's eyes, but she couldn't place them for the life of her.

"You ready?" Angela approached slowly, confidently, like a trainer approaching a hostile beast. Aislinn decided to ignore the other girl's manner- it didn't matter to her what went on between them. She let Angela wrap her arms around her waist, lean in, pushing her chest heavily against her. Aislinn barely reciprocated the actions, leaning back just enough to accommodate the sudden shift in weight, her hands loosely dropping to her sides. Angela leaned in, face just inches from her leader's, her words now little more than whispers. "It's going to be dangerous."

Aislinn threw her head back, letting out a loud, hoarse guffaw. "Danger? Since when have I cared about danger?"

Angela smirked. "Since you started caring about me. Come on," she pulled back from the embrace, fingers wrapping around Ais's forearm, "I've got some... Things to show you, in my room."

"Care to tell me what?"

"It's a surprise," she replied, not waiting for a response before leading Aislinn away from the balcony, the lighter slipping from between her loose fingers.

\--

The lights thrown from the chandelier danced across the walls, reflecting from the assorted mirrors that were placed haphazardly around the chamber. Angela's room was not quite comfortable, despite the fact that it was definitely designed to feel that way. Aislinn always felt that way, whether they were in there for personal reasons, or business. She lay sprawled on her back on the mattress, staring at the ceiling above her. It was hard to remember a time that Angela had not occupied the room, although she was fairly new to the gang. What had it been before? Somehow her mere presence in the room erased the scars left behind by previous times. The scratches that should have been on the walls were no longer visible, the smoke-stained paintings could be seen clear as day. It felt wrong, but she made it look right.

"As I was saying," Angela stated, holding a glass of champaigne loosely between her fingers (how the hell she had procured such an expensive drink was something Aislinn preferred not to think about), "Volos is definitely on defense, though the same can't be said about Besart."

"D'you have any clue what Besart's up to?" 

"Not sure as of yet. My agents find him hard to track; we're basing our information off of the movements of his cohorts. Biera's setting up a trap of some sort, I think. Shouldn't be that hard to get through, especially if we torch the decoy buildings first."

"Michael can do that, maybe Kassim should go too. Shawn will stay back here with you, and I'll be right up front."

Angela cringed. "Can Shawn go with Michael instead? I don't... Trust him."

"Sure. Hope you're okay with Kassim, though, because you're stuck with them."

She shrugged. 

"Good." Aislinn rose off the bed slowly, stretching. "I'm gonna spread the news. You'd better prepare your knives though, just in case."

Angela approached once again, leaning towards the other woman until their faces were just inches from each other. "They're already in place. You'd better plan on coming back in one piece, though," she paused, her breath punctuating the silence, "it'd just break my pretty little heart to have to kill them all myself. It'd just smash me right to pieces."

"I swear by my honor, your ladyship," Aislinn replied, mocking a curtsy.

"Try again, we both know you don't have any."

"Fuck, I swear by my left boob then. Happy?"

"Maybe. If you die, I'm taking it myself though."

Sighing, Aislinn relented. The two said their farewells the long way, stretching out the minutes in each other's presence while they still lasted, for God knows how long. It would only be so long before one or the other would die, and Aislinn almost felt bad about the fact that her presence would ensure a shot to the back for one or the other. 

The door shut silently behind her. Aislinn set off down the hall, plan forming in her mind. Volos would have some warning before they arrived, so it would be best to distract him. Attack uncharacteristically late, come from the skybridge levels high above? Cut through the main lines and bomb those left alive? Idea after idea flew through her brain, as she wandered through the warehouses and tunnels that formed her home. She hardly noticed Maia until she had hit them head on. 

"Fuck, watch where you're going!"

Maia shrugged, and smiled (it looked forced, but so did a lot of things they did). "I could say the same to you. Why the hell are you so far away from the prep? We nearly had another catastrophe with the gunpowder."

Aislinn grunted. "Dunno. Not sure why I'm down here. Not sure where you're supposed to be either. Good to know that everything's coming along though."

"So, the plans? What are we doing?" Maia seemed genuinely excited.

"Well," Aislinn announced, picking a plan at random, "Michael and Sean are blowing up the decoy warehouses, and you and I are gonna plow through the jewels they've got on defense. Volos is out there, but no need to worry about him. I mean, you need to worry about him, because you're gonna be in charge of taking down anything he tries to do."

Maia's eyes lit up. "I've got your back. If he tries anything suspicious, I'll have him dead before he can act."

Ais grunted. "Don't kill 'em. Just shock him until he's immobile. Don't want to make Biera too mad yet, let her suffer for a bit longer before she snaps. It's gonna happen soon, and if we play the cards right, it's the goddamn Water Gang that's gonna bear the brunt of her wrath." She laughed again, imagining the leaders of the rival gangs clearing the path for her takeover.

Maia paled for a second, but regained their composure. They'd been with fire Gang for about three years now, and that was long enough for Aislinn to forget their history. Maia Freyr was Cassandra's younger sibling, and a traitor to their home gang, despite the fact that they were never truly a part of it in the first place. The element of electricity had no home in Water Gang. It was too dangerous for someone as weak as Cassandra to deal with- Maia needed a place to truly learn how to destroy. 

And destruction was what Fire Gang did best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, finals have been really tough on everyone involved. Not, on the plus side, there will be more plot, and more action in the weeks following. Also, check out our tumblr, the-restless-story.tumblr.com, where we will be posting art, character profiles, and extra plot snippets! As always, we appreciate your support. Thanks!


	10. Chapter 9 (???)

The room was far more spacious than any room he had found before- a large window revealed the smoke-stained sky and the city streets below. He knew precisely what he was supposed to do, it was made obvious by the hooks along the walls. The room was supposed to be a death trap, and since he wasn't dead yet, Alec West figured that he was supposed to set it. There was no reason to set the trap though, he could kill anyone without assistance. This was his home now, and the first real home he had in a long time. 

He decided to explore the room to his left first. It was a small bedroom, complete with a bed, larger than needed for a single person, and crisply folded bedsheets. The closet in the corner proved to be empty, as did the storage chamber beside the bed. There was an abnormally clean bathroom as well, equipped with a shower, and freshly laundered towels. On the other side of the apartment, there was a kitchen. It was clear that the apartment had been stocked ahead of time, as food lined the cupboards and the refrigerator as well. Eating would have to wait though, he decided, as showering took priority.

The hot water lasted for a surprisingly long time. Alec tried to stay until the water ran cold, thinking about how he got there. A boat ride, and a week or so on the run, and then he caught the attention of Anisa Caelum, leader of Air Gang, who handed him an address, a key, and a name, and told him to kill. He hadn't been here for long, no, the city was strange and small to him. Filthy was all it was, dirty and smoke filled. A weeks worth of dirt down the drain. He left the bathroom clean and relatively damp, pulling his clothes on over his wet skin, ignoring the discomfort. 

He returned to the kitchen, and grabbed an apple off of the counter. A careful test bite was not needed- he was sure he could survive any poisoning attempt. The fruit was almost perfectly sweet, and, to his surprise, lacked the distinctive flavor of the cloned food, used to feed the general population. A demonstration of power. How quaint. Still, he bit into the apple with relish, real food, especially fruit was near impossible to find. 

Something shifted. There was someone nearby. Alec couldn't tell how he knew, but he trusted his premonition. It had never led him astray. He left the kitchen, choosing to sit at one of the chairs, looking out the window, and closed his eyes. 

There were no dreams, Alec West never dreamt.

He was awakened by a knock at the door. Without hesitation, he opened it, revealing a young girl on the other side. She looked younger than him, but not by much, with short waves of coppery hair that fell to her neck. She shivered slightly as a chill blew through the hallway- her thin scarf and tattered overcoat looked like it did little good against the cold. 

"Sorry, I didn't know you were here yet!" she stated, blushing, "I'm here to deliver clothing to the owner of this apartment, on behalf of Miss Caelum." 

She held a parcel in her hands, wrapped in thin brown paper. "D'you mind if I come in and drop them off?"

She was lying, it wasn't hard to see. She wasn't disguising her intentions at all, but seemed rather causeless at the moment. Alec decided to play along.

"Sure. They're for the bedroom, right?" she nodded, "That's to your left here."

She thanked him and entered, unceremoniously dropping the package in a heap in the closet. She then decided to help herself to food from the refrigerator. 

"You seem to be making yourself right at home," Alec commented, as she pulled out a bottle of beer, "may I ask why? This is my apartment."

She shrugged. "See, I usually don't have to stick around this long. Normal people usually don't mind though," there was a second, before she added, "Normal people are usually dead at this point. May I ask, who the hell are you?"

"Your worst nightmare. Did you poison the air? I don't feel a knife in the back yet."

"I don't poison, I kill. Say, has Anisa talked to you about her second in command? Because she's curious about you. Give me a name, please?"

"Call me West," Alec said, starting to smile. He was liking this messenger, it's a shame she was going to die so soon. He tensed, feeling the pressure build up along his spine. "Now, if I remember correctly, I am what they call an elemental. I am the master of oblivion, and I am afraid that it's my turn to do the killing."

The pressure at the back of his neck released, the energy crackling along his spine, as tendrils of darkness enveloped his vision. He felt darkness spill out of his back, pushing through his skin, forming shadowy limbs that expanded behind him, stretching eagerly, searching for something to destroy. They honed in on their target, who smirked confidently. She casually pulled a gun from under her coat, firing a bullet almost without looking. 

Alec also smirked, his shadows pushing the bullet aside as though it was nothing. He lunged towards the girl, focusing his energy on disarming her. She fired another two bullets, before a tendril wrapped around her arm, dislodging the weapon. He had the upper hand, and that made her death almost unfair. Still, he yanked sharply on her arm, trying to break the bone. She reacted quickly, shifting her balance back, almost like she was trying to break her own arm. He let go, and she fell backwards, boots sliding along the glossy, tiled floor. She whipped two silver blades out of her jacket and hurled them, slicing through the tendrils. Alec swept the knives away quickly, regrowing the missing limbs. They felt pain, he realized. Nobody had ever fought back before.

Oh well, this time wouldn't last much longer, he thought, reaching outwards again. She was cornered now, back against the kitchen wall, and this time, when he grabbed her wrists, he went for the throat as well, pinning her and dragging her upwards until her feet were just off the ground. 

"Any last words? I'd like to know your name before you die,"

"Are you kidding me?" She sounded incredulous, too nonchalant for Alec to feel comfortable. He tightened his grip around her neck in order to convey his level of seriousness. "Last words are a waste of time. Anyone stupid enough to even give someone a chance for last words is probably not gonna be doing a lot of killing in the future."

She kicked her leg upward, smacking her foot into the tendril grabbing her left arm. It recoiled in pain, before stretching back out. The damage, however, had been done, she pulled a strangely shaped weapon off of a holster on her belt. 

"Listen here, fucker. I'm not gonna kill you yet, but you most definitely won't be killing me, ever. I'll give you my name, it's Mika, and it's truly a pleasure to meet you. Now if you'll excuse me," she squeezed her finger on the trigger.

Alec's eyes went wide as he felt something, something like a needle plunge into his side. There was a second, where everything went still. Memories came flashing back, memories of shots of liquid, and people on the other end, people with dead eyes. A fraction of a second later, the shock administered by the taser seized his body. His body screamed in protest, muscles convulsing. God, it was infuriating, not being able to move the way he wanted to, the pain was merely an annoyance compared to immobility. Mika stared at him, and he tried to scream something at her. She reached into her pocket and dug out two small packages, proceeded to load one into the weapon in her hand and shot him once, twice more, and Alec realized that he had lost. The floor felt heavy in his back, and he heard her say something about a name, a price, and an unexpected turn of events.

The gleam of a knife and unconsciousness fell mercifully quickly.


	11. Chapter 10 (???)

It hadn't been long since a plan had been formed, and, as usual, Damien Besart was having second thoughts. He paced the room, eyes closed, going over everything in his mind. The plan just didn't feel right, it was sharp at the edges and jagged over the tongue when spoken. There were flaws, and he tried to fix them in every way possible, but new errors would always take their place.

"You alright?" Amma asked, from her position, daintily seated on the corner of his desk. He tried to guess what she was doing, legs crossed, fingers tapping patterns on the hardwood, ebony hair pulled back. "You look concerned."

Damien stopped, opening his eyes and blinking in the sudden light. "I'm surprised you're /not/ concerned, the way this plan is coming. I have no idea how the hell we can control the fall, nor how we even intend on getting people up there. It's crazy to assume that Serafino even intends to follow the plans that she's hinting at, and..."

He cut himself off. His brain was moving faster than his mouth again, and he needed to let himself catch up.

"...and you're afraid for Biera's health," Amma finished his sentence. "She will be fine, I assure you. She's not the sort to let someone kill her, you know. For God's sake, she was supposed to die years ago, yet here she stands. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she lasted 'til the end of time, whenever that may be."

"Amma," Damien was losing patience. "We don't have time for this. She's dying-"

"And so are you! And so am I, and so is Chiaki, and Leo, and every single last spark that's marching toward us right now! Biera knows what she's doing, you don't need to worry about her. Focus on strategy."

He decided against arguing. Amma was right, as she always tended to be. He shifted his focus once again onto the matter at hand. 

"Remember, Leo is in the lower city, protecting the streets through the warehouse. The main body of Earth Gang is to be on support, and you are to lead a team in a surprise attack from the back. Like I stated before, Serafino looks like she's just planning to march straight in- it shouldn't be hard to ambush her, but getting around her forces without getting seen will prove problematic."

"And that's where I'm running into problems, Amma," Damien sighed, "Hiding in the shadows is out of the question, they'll use as much light as they can. We can circumvent this, but it all depends on how many of her subelementals she'll bring. I highly doubt Iris will be among their ranks, but if she is, I'm sure I can take her on."

He had never thought too highly of love. It wasn't something that he considered worth the time- he had seen what it had done to his peers, tearing people apart. Yes, he feared it at times, but when it came down to it, someone who weaponized love could never truly harm him. He had power of his own.

"But if she's there, then that leaves Serafino to do whatever the hell she wants to the main forces, and I don't want to see their corpses all fucked up, the way she's known for leaving them."

"You know just as well as I do, Damien," Amma said with a sigh, "You saw the survivors with your own eyes, she didn't let any of them live, really. Burned their school, burned their friends right in front of their eyes, and bombed those trying to escape. And even of those that escaped and ended up at our side of the city, most of 'em offed themselves in the year that followed."

"You didn't." Damien said bluntly.

Amma flinched. "I didn't. You're right. I just ended up trying to help out someone who could help me get revenge. That fire killed my younger sister, and I ended up here, trying to advise one of the few people I actually give a flying fuck about on how not to die when facing the person who nearly ruined my life! So what if Iris ends up fighting against someone who isn't as cold as you? I could take her on, and you can make sure that everything goes alright on the front lines."

Damien's expression settled on a determined pout. "I don't want you there. I'll scout for her from the sides, that shouldn't be too hard. If she's there, I'll take care of her. If not, I'll support the central line as best I can. You are to sustain leadership as though I am there, got it? I don't want to scare people."

Rolling her eyes, Amma shrugged. "Reasonable, but not the safest thing I could think of."

"You could think of better?" Damien asked, quirking an eyebrow, "I can go with reasonable. It's not that much of a chance she'll be there in the first place, is it." 

He had won. Amma pushed herself off of the desk, rolling her dark eyes. "If you get hurt, do know that I can't do anything about it."

"Leo'll probably take pity on me, the only thing he seems to feel is sympathy."

"And you could do with a bit more sympathy, in all honesty." She was smiling though, though her voice mocked scorn. "May I be dismissed? I've got some commands to give, and a lot of preparations to make." 

Damien nodded. "You don't have to ask me, ma'am, you're in charge here."

Amma smiled, bending slightly at the knee in a sarcastic curtsy, before striding towards the door, her black hair swaying, snakelike, behind her. Damien sighed, taking once again to pacing the study. His relationship with Amma was tense, to say the least. He was her superior, but she challenged him any time he was indecisive, reading his emotions far too well for comfort. She was a problem, yes, but she was definitely a worthwhile ally. 

What was he doing again? His study was cluttered, but cleaning it would be futile. Practice would be draining, he needed all his strength to drive back the Sparks, but rest would leave him weak. And doing nothing would lead to another bout of criticisms within his own mind, which would definitely not do. Confidence was key, and though he was confident in his own skills, Damien knew that overthinking would be his downfall. He tapped his foot on the ground, the stimulus shaking him back to reality. He had to keep moving, to keep his mind at bay.

The chill of the underbridge air pushed through Damien's coat, as he strode out of the study, the door locking itself behind him. He followed the soft murmur of distant voices, the person he was seeking would likely be nearby. However, upon catching sight of the tragically familiar face of Conrad Ross Wilson, he caught himself, trying to turn down a side hallway, casually escape conversation- too late. 

"Hey, hey Damien! Err, sorry, mister Besart, do I have to call you mister? I'm nearly your age."

Damien forced an expression that wasn't a grimace. "It's fine, Wilson. Do you have any idea where Biera is?"

Conrad shrugged. "Dunno. Chiaki and Leo are near the Bismuth sector, though, if you're looking for them."

"Not right now, thank you, though," Damien nodded, before catching sight of some wires sticking out from the bundle in Conrad's arms. He gave entire bundle a suspicious glance-over. "Do I even want to know what that is?"

The man shrugged again, pulling off some of the protective cloth to offer Damien a look. "Just some trash I found while, uh, casing the area. I figured we could rewire some of these things to make some bombs or something, I don't really know."

Damien sighed. "You, just carry on with what you're doing. Don't tell Amma you saw me out, please, the consequences will likely be painful for the both of us."

Conrad nodded. "Gotcha. Not a word." He winked cheekily, before turning away, humming something to himself. Damien wasn't sure how he felt about Conrad, really. He was like the opposite of Amma in every way. He tried his hardest to be helpful, but almost fell short at every attempt. Almost, however, was the key word- whenever his contraptions were actually usable, the results were devastating. 

The encounter with Conrad, though, had proven positive. His enthusiasm had helped alleviate some of Damien's stress. People were still trying their damnedest, even if they would fail, and this plan was the finest they could craft with the time given, just like the weapons and technique of the members involved. He headed towards nowhere in particular with a slight spring to his step, feeling the presence of his leader get closer.

"Damien."

He whirled, face to face with Julia Biera. Her cold gaze stared straight through him as he tried for eye contact, failing miserably, looking slightly to her left instead. She had gotten behind him, gods knew how, and he had barely noticed. 

"Yes, Biera?"

"You were looking for me?" Her voice was hoarse, and Damien couldn't help but feel concern. She was looking paler than usual, now, and suddenly Amma's caution seemed a lot less reasonable. 

"I- yeah, I was. I plan on searching the area for Iris, once conflict begins, I will take her alone, if she shows up, which I doubt will happen."

"You're asking permission? Consider it granted. I'll warn you now, however, that you shouldn't ask me about plans like that again, lest I begin to doubt your confidence as a leader. You're here for a reason, Besart, and if you continue wasting my time, I'm afraid you may slip out of favor." She continued, cutting off Damien's apologies before they could even form, "I'd advise caution, whatever you end up doing. It'd be a shame to lose you. What else were you going to ask?"

The question caught him off guard. He hadn't intended to ask her this, and how she had guessed he even had the question was beyond his knowledge. "Your plan. It's going to involve a lot of effort, especially on your part, and-"

"You think I am not equal to the task?" She raised an eyebrow, and Damien's blood ran cold.

"N-no, not that. I don't want you to overexert yourself, and, I figured, with my own power..."

She shook her head. "No. Your power is to be used solely for combat here. I have more than enough power to secure every soldier, every man, woman, and child under my protection. It's simply a matter of whether or not Serafino looks up before she sets herself on fire."

Damien nodded. It was simple enough, he thought, as Julia turned without another word, and stalked down the hall. She would do everything she wanted, and he would have to catch her if she fell, he had nothing better to do. Nothing much left to do. Julia Biera always had her way, even if it would lead to the end of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is hella late and I am sorry. On the plus side, character bios and profiles are progressing, and the plot is fully fleshed out now. It was a lot of fun writing this chapter, and, as always, we hope you enjoy.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and welcome to The Restless! This story is a collaboration between myself and multiple other people, some of whom don't have accounts here. We are on both tumblr and wattpad, and are trying to post a new chapter every Saturday (though it may end up as every other Saturday, due to our schedules). Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy.


End file.
